Pasadena Unified Sues City Over Tree Rules at 11 Campuses
Pasadena Unified School District sued the City of Pasadena on July 17 over enforcement of the city’s Tree Protection Ordinance during cleanup of soil contaminated with lead and arsenic at 11 district campuses.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, asks for a writ of mandate, declaratory relief and a permanent injunction that would prevent the city from interfering with the cleanup. The dispute comes as the district works toward completing cleanup activity before schools are scheduled to open on Aug. 17, 2026.
The case centers on whether Pasadena’s tree-protection rules can stop or limit work on school property when the district is removing contaminated soil and vegetation. PUSD’s cleanup plan includes removing trees and other vegetation in affected areas.
Cleanup tied to the Eaton Fire
The contamination is linked to the January 2025 Eaton Fire. District estimates call for excavating approximately 8,400 cubic yards of contaminated soil across the 11 campuses.
According to the lawsuit’s account, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control determined that the soil posed an imminent and substantial threat to students, teachers and staff. The district’s filing describes lead and arsenic levels as exceeding state safety thresholds.
That finding gives the dispute a direct public-health and school-operations consequence. The district is seeking to remove the affected soil while also carrying out the vegetation work it says is part of the cleanup plan. City stop-work enforcement involving trees has become the immediate legal conflict.
Board authorized litigation before filing
The PUSD Board of Education voted 7-0 in closed session on July 16 to authorize litigation, according to Pasadena Now. The board then voted in open session to make district property exempt from applicable city zoning rules.
Pasadena Now reported that district counsel said the action would allow tree removals affected by city stop-work notices to proceed. The board did not identify the litigation target when it announced the action, the report said.
The following day, the district filed the lawsuit naming the City of Pasadena. The requested writ, declarations and injunction are claims for court relief; they are not a court order authorizing the cleanup.
What happens next
The legal dispute now involves the district’s effort to clear the way for remediation before the planned Aug. 17 return to school. The filing seeks a permanent injunction against city interference, along with a court order directing the city to recognize the district’s position.
The outcome could determine how PUSD carries out tree removal, vegetation clearing and soil excavation at the affected campuses. It also places the timing of the cleanup alongside the district’s scheduled opening date, although the Aug. 17 date does not establish that all remediation will be finished by then.
Los Angeles County Superior Court has not issued a ruling on the requested relief in the public accounts cited here. The lawsuit remains the district’s effort to resolve the conflict between Pasadena’s tree-protection rules and the cleanup work described in the filing.
Sources
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